Depression Flashcards
What is depression classified as?
A mood disorder (or affective disorder).
What are the key characteristics of depression?
Low mood, lack of energy and motivation, and loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities.
How long must symptoms of depression be present for a diagnosis?
At least two weeks.
What is the DSM-5?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, which categorizes depressive disorders.
What is Major Depressive Disorder?
Severe but often short-term depression.
What does Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder refer to?
Childhood tantrums and severe temper outbursts.
What is Persistent Depressive Disorder?
Long-term, recurring depression, including sustained major depression.
What is a premenstrual dysphoric disorder?
Disruption of mood before and/or during menstruation
What are the two possible changes in activity levels that may occur in depression?
An increase in activity, such as restlessness, or a decrease, like withdrawal from daily life (e.g., not going to work).
How can depression affect sleep patterns?
It can lead to either increased time spent sleeping or a decrease via insomnia or waking very early.
What changes in appetite might be seen in someone with depression?
Appetite may increase, leading to more food consumption, or decrease, resulting in an inability to eat or lack of appetite.
How can depression manifest through aggression and self-harm?
The person may become aggressive towards others, engage in self-harm (e.g., cutting), and this may culminate in suicidal behaviors.
What is the key defining emotional characteristics of depression?
Consistently low moods or sadness, often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness
How can depression manifest through anger?
It may lead to angry outbursts and unpredictable mood swings
How does depression affect interest in activities or hobbies?
The person may lose all interest in activities or hobbies that once brought them joy, which can increase sadness
How is low self-esteem related to depression?
It may involve self-loathing, which can worsen feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
What are cognitive characteristics?
Refers to brain-bases processes which are involved in skills such as thinking, learning, remembering,paying attention and reading
What is a common negative view of the world in depression?
Thoughts that everything will turn out badly and that there is no hope
How do irrational thoughts manifest in depression?
They do not accurately reflect reality but instead mirror the negative mindset of the depressed person.
How is concentration affected in someone with depression?
Concentration may be disturbed, leading to an inability to focus on a specific task.
How does depression affect decision-making?
The person may seem ‘paralysed’ with indecision, unable to commit to a course of action.
What is catastrophising in the context of depression?
An ‘end-of-the-world’ mindset, where even small setbacks are viewed as tragedies or emergencies.
What does Beck’s cognitive approach to explaining depression focus on?
The role of internal mental processes in determinining behaviour
What are example of internal mental processes in becks cognitive approach?
Thoughts, information processing and perception
How does the cognitive approach explain depression?
Depression is explained through irrational thoughts, faulty information processing and distorted perceptions
What assumption does the cognitive approach make about the cause of depression?
It assumes that depression results from faulty or irrational thought processes and negative schema.
What is an example of irrationally personalizing events in faulty information processing? What is an example of irrationally personalizing events in faulty information processing?
Thinking, “The world hates me, even the bus hates me, it didn’t stop for me this morning.”
How does seeking out the negative manifest in faulty information processing?
Focusing on the downside of a positive situation, like saying, “I may have got a promotion, but it will mean I have to take on more work.”
What is catastrophising in faulty information processing?
Believing, “I got a low mark for this essay, which means I’m going to fail my exams and end up homeless and broke.”
How does overgeneralising occur in faulty information processing?
Concluding, “I had a date last night but it didn’t go well, so what’s the point of dating at all?”
Who developed the concept of the negative triad as an explanation of depression?
Beck
What are the three components of becks negative triad?
Negative view of the self, negative view of the world, and negative view of the future
What is the negative view of the self in becks negative triad?
Thoughts like “I am worthless, unimportant, useless, or a waste of time.”
What is the negative view of the world in Beck’s negative triad?
The belief that “Everyone is against me.”
What is the negative view of the future in Beck’s negative triad?
The thought, “I am never going to amount to anything.”
what is a schema?
a schema is a mental framework that helps organise ideas and experiences into easily categorised ‘packets’ of information
what is a self-schema?
a self-schema is the framework of information an individual has about themselves such as “I am worthy of love” or “I am not worthy of love”
what are negative self-schemas?
negative self-schemas are components of becks cognitive theory of depression where individuals focus on negative aspects of themselves
what is an ineptness schema?
an ineptness schema is a belief held by some depressed individuals that they will fail at everything they try
what is a negative self-evaluation schema?
a negative self-evaluation schema involves individuals constantly reminding themselves of their worthlessness
what is a strength of becks cognitive theory in treating depression?
it has practical applications, such as CBT(cognitive behavioural therapy), which helps identify, challenge and change irrational thoughts
how does CBT demonstrate external validity?
it can be applied in real setting to help individuals suffering from depression
what supporting evidence is there for becks theory?
Grazioli and terry (2000) found that pregnant women vulnerable to depression were more likely to experience post-natal depression
what does the evidence from grazioli and Terry suggest about becks cognitive approach?
it can be used to identify vulnerabilities in individuals and trigger interventions to delay or prevent depression
what limitation does becks theory have regarding irrational thoughts?
it highlights characterisitics of irrational thinking but does not explain why these thoughts occur or their origins
what does the lack of explanatory power mean for becks theory?
it fails to adequately explain the origins of irrational thoughts related to depression
what biological factors does becks theory overlook?
it does not consider the role of genetics and neurotransmitters (especially serotonin) in depression
What does the omission of biological factors indicate about Beck’s theory?
It lacks a holistic approach, viewing depression solely through a cognitive lens.
